Repeal of UK Vagrancy Act marks major step toward ending criminalisation of homelessness and poverty: UN experts

GENEVA – UN experts* today welcomed a decision by the United Kingdom to repeal the Vagrancy Act, a law that has long criminalised homelessness and rough sleeping in England and Wales, by Spring 2026.

“This is a long overdue, highly commendable step,” the experts said. “The decision to repeal the Vagrancy Act signals a shift away from criminalisation and towards a rights-based approach to homelessness and extreme poverty.”

“Nobody should be penalised for not having access to a home. Punishing a person for having no home or shelter is also cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, prohibited under Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” the experts said.

First introduced in 1824, the Vagrancy Act permitted police to arrest individuals for sleeping rough or begging in public spaces. It has been a blueprint for similar legislation in other countries, and a tool of colonial rule and oppression. To this day, many of these laws remain in force.

“Homelessness is not a crime, but a failure of States to guarantee the right to adequate housing. The police should fight crime and assist persons in distress, not penalise people living in the street due to circumstances beyond their control,” the experts said.

“The United Kingdom’s action sets an important precedent. Other States, especially those former British colonies which still have a version of this law on the books, should follow suit and dismantle these outdated systems that punish the most vulnerable for conditions the State has failed to address,” they said.

The experts called on States to invest in long-term solutions, that ensure access to affordable housing, security of tenure, decent employment, urgent and adequate healthcare, education, and social protection, rather than treating homelessness as a criminal matter.

In a recent landmark study, the experts called on States to review laws and policies that penalise people for living in poverty or homelessness. They remain ready to assist States in implementing rights-based strategies that ensure the right to adequate housing for all.